This article contains significant spoilers regarding NieR and NieR: Automata.
When I played the original NieR more than half a decade ago, I don't think I could have ever have foreseen how much it'd resonate with me or that it would b...

Japanese Visual novels are nearly impenetrable without the ability to read the language. They're essentially choose your own adventure books with music and heavily recycled 2D graphics, which often makes playing one as a foreigner fee...

I wouldn't say I'm a mobile game aficionado. I dumped six months into Puzzles and Dragons, played two months of Final Fantasy: Grand Masters and experienced the riveting Hill Cliff Horse, which was like being in a Gaia Online chat roo...

The Japanese indie / doujin fighting game scene isn't anything new or unheard of. While no Guilty Gear or BlazBlue in popularity, there are titles like Melty Blood that have gained at least some following. Inaho Town: Dynamite Bomb!! ...

Aside from the initial reveal, I've largely ignored of NieR: Automata. I've got nothing against it, I just don't get much out of preview coverage. Demos, trailers, etc. all present an image of a game, yet the lack of information leave...

Most Japanese indie games haven't been prevalent in the industry over the last decade. A growing Steam presence is starting to bring many of these games to light, but plenty have yet to make the transition. Until recently, they were a...

(Image Source: RPGFan)
Although not exclusive to the medium, one of my favorite things about video games is how many elements are includes within a single work. Everything from level design, artistic style, story telling, cinematic di...

(Image Source: Final Fantasy Wikia)
Being an fan of older versions of Final Fantasy XI is somewhat of a sad situation. Many titles that people are nostalgic for exist in their entirety today. While you may not be able to recapture tha...

The Wii U GamePad's intended purpose, as a second screen experience for console gaming, is a failure. Aside from a few examples, Nintendo has largely floundered to find much of a reason to use the device. Because of this, I was drawn ...

(Image Source: IGN)
The Wii and DS have huge libraries. With over 100 million hardware units sold for each, plenty of publishers and developers were pumping out titles in an attempt to grab even a fraction of the market. I was almost ...

Aconcagua, a PlayStation release from 2000 that's often misreported as a survival horror game. It's is a point-and-click adventure that pits five survivors against both environmental and military hazards.This video is about the Argent...

Hi, just wanted to let my blog followers know, as full disclosure: My new place of employment has The Pokemon Company International as a client. I never write about Pokemon and don't really care for it. But better safe than sorry. Thank you~.

Kickstarter has been great for developers launching spiritual successors to their dead franchises. While they may not be able to continue the beloved worlds and characters these series offered, they can at least keep working with the ...

I've had a rough experience with Xenoblade Chronicles X and, after clocking in 100 hours, my time with it ended prematurely. I overwrote my save with a new file. Whoops. Even before my stupidity ruined my playthrough, I had a lot of t...

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I have a soft spot for everyday characters who play roles in extraordinary stories. Despite not being a super powered hero, chosen one or whatever excuse there is to overcome excruciating odds, they st...

I'm in the odd position of preferring Rodea the Sky Soldier on Wii U versus the generally agreed upon better release on Wii.
This video includes a quick look at developer Yuji Naka's recent ventures, comparing the biggest changes betw...

Video Gaming Bits is a Tumblr series where I talk about a single aspect or memory of a game randomly selected from my collection. Publisher: NintendoDeveloper: Nintendo EADGenre: Action-Adventure, Cleaning Simula...

(Image Source: The Gay Gamer) Ice Climber gets more attention than it probably deserves. It's been released on about ten different platforms and its protagonists have been featured in one of Nintendo's biggest franchises of a...

I've feared nostalgia for years. Recommending or highlighting something simply because I enjoyed it as a kid feels irresponsible. I usually want to talk about a game's current day relevance. Yet as I frowned upon analyzing with rose-tinte...

Many like to boil Shenmue down to an open-world adventure game. Fundamentally they wouldn't be wrong, but it undermines the title's ambition. What makes the game special is not the countless items you can examine, the number of characters...

Video Gaming Bits is a Tumblr series where I talk about a single aspect or memory of a game randomly selected from my collection. Publisher: NintendoDeveloper: Intelligent SystemsGenre: Kart RacerPlatform: ...

Video Gaming Bits is a Tumblr series where I talk about a single aspect or memory of a game randomly selected from my collection. Publisher: MidwayDeveloper: Pipeworks SoftwareGenre: Arcade, DestructionPlatf...

Kirby has become defined by his ability to copy his foes powers. But what is he without them? They add variety to the gameplay and help differentiate each title. Rideable pets modify abilities in Dream Land 2, Super Star has multiple skills...

About Oculinone of us since 8:47 PM on 03.29.2012

Oculin, or Benjamin Yoder, was previously Editor-in-Chief at TheSpeedGamers and contributor at VGChartz. Now, he is simply a game blogger and weeaboo in denial.

Digging for gems in unknown or poorly received titles is what Oculin games for. He places a large emphasis on interesting ideas and entertainment value, versus polished mechanics.

Disclosure: The Pokemon Company International is a client of my current place of employment.